boog-heb



A. B-OOGHER.

DESK.

( No Model.)

No. 537,799. Patented M1216, 1895.

Invento v Attorney.

W itnesses:

. Pumuqmu, WASHINGTON, o. c.

lJNiTED STATES PATENT retest ARCHER. BOOGHER, OF ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,799, dated April 16, 1 895. Application filed December 14, 1894:: Serial No. 531,773. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, ARCHER BooeHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Alexandria and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in desks; and it has for its object to provide a desk with a sloping support for books, writing materials, &c., which can be adjustably elevated to suit the requirements of the user either while sitting or standing, this support serving also as a closure for the upper frontportion of the desk.

The invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a View of a desk embodying my invention, showing in full lines'the closure let down to be used as a support for writing materials or books while the user is in a-sitting position, the dotted lines showing the closure elevated to aposition for use while he isin a standing position. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the desk closed. Fig. 3 is a broken side elevation of the desk with the closure in its elevated position.

Referring to the drawings, A is an ordinary desk having the usual ledge B, the edges of which extend slightly beyond the sides of the desk, as at b. Instead of using the usual hinged door or doors to close the front of that portion of the desk above the ledge, I employ a single closure 0, which I connect to the desk in the following manner: To each end of the closure I-secure one end of an arm D, of suitable length, in the upper edge of the free end of which is formed a notch 1. To this arm, about on a line with the lower edge of the closure, I pivot, as at 2, one end of a link E, the other end of which is pivoted on a stud 3 projecting from a platee secured to the side of the desk, said plate being preferably provided with a strap t having a hole in its free end and bent so as to pass over the stud 3 and bear against the link, as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 3. In order that the arm D may pass freely by the link E, the former is bent outwardly slightly above the point at perspective which the link is connected with it, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

d and d are two plates secured in vertical alignment to each side of the desk, and from each of which projects respectively a stud 5 and 6, with which the notches 1 in arms D are adapted to engage.

The length of each link E is somewhat shorter than the distancev between the point of attachment of the link to the arm and the notch in the latter; and therefore by placing the respective plates in such relative positions that plate cl will fall within the arc of a circle struck through plates (1 and e, the closure will assume the proper inclined position whether the arms arein engagement with the studs 5 or 6, and the links will hang or stand on an incline in either position of the closure, thereby giving the best bracing effect to the arms, all as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 8.

Assuming the desk to be closed, asseen in Fig. 2, when it is desired to use the closure as a support it is swung down on pivots 2 until the notches 1 on arms D engage with studs 5 on plate d, when the closure assumes the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, for use when the user is in a sitting position. Should it be desired to adapt the closure for use as a support when the user is in a standing position, the armsD aredisengaged from studs 5, the closure is swung upward on pivots 2 and 3, and the notches l are thrown into engagement with the studs 6, when the closure assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 3. When the closure is turned up to close the upper front portion of the desk, the edges of the arms D will bear against the projecting ends b of the ledge B, as seen in Fig. 2, thus preventing the closure from being pulled open from the bottom, it being understood that it is locked at the top.

While I have shown and described my invention as applied to a desk it is apparent that it is equally applicable to bookcases or other like articles of furniture.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a desk, bookcase, or other like article of furniture, a closure for closing the upper front portion of the same, arms respectively secured at one end to the ends of the closure, links pivotally'connected to said arms and to the sides of the article of furniture, and studs secured to the sides of the article of furniture with which the arms are adapted to engage, whereby said closure may be lowered or. elevated to an approximately horizontal position to suit the requirements of the user.

2. In a desk, bookcase, or other like article of furniture, a closure for closing the upper front portion of the same, two arms respectively secured at one end to the endsof the closure, links pivotally connected to said arms and to studs secured to the sides of the article of furniture, and two sets of studs secured to the sides of the articles of furniture, with either of which the arms are adapted to engage, the studs of each set being in vertical alignment in rear of the studs on which the links are pivoted, for the purposes set forth.

v3. In a desk, bookcase,or other like article of furniture, a closure for closing the upper front portion of the same, two arms respectively secured at one end to the ends of the closure and each having a notch in its free end, links pivotally connected to said arms and to studs secured to the sides of the article of furniture, the distance between the points of attachment of the links to the arms and the notches in the latter being greater than the length of the links, and two sets of studs secured to the sides of the article of furniture, with either of which the notches in the arms are adapted to engage, the studs of each setbeing in vertical al'ignmentin rear of the studs on which the links are pivoted, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARCHER BOOGHER.

Witnesses:

G. W. BALLooH, D. W, GOULD. 

